The Feminine Lie
by Vrinda81
Summary: Murder, a stolen diary, and political corruption await the Five-O team as they investigate the death of a woman with connections to a local politician. What ensues is a case with one deadly twist and turn after another, including the implication of one of McGarrett's most-trusted aids.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

**I**

The honey blonde turned off the hi-fi and snubbed out her cigarette in an ashtray. She went to the window and looked out on the darkened street and the moonless night. The whole world outside was covered in a blanket of black velvet, except for the lights from the neighboring houses. She closed the curtains, pulled down the shade, and then went to the table and checked to make sure the lid on the bottle of brandy was secure. She set it back on the tray with the two glasses. She went to the painting that hung over the mantelpiece. She pulled the painting back like it was a door opening from the wall. Behind it was safe with a combination lock. Turning the dial on the combination lock, she opened the safe and pulled out a brown leather-covered diary. She tightened her grip on it, for it held a great amount of significance to her, then put it back into the safe. The doorbell rang and she greeted her visitor with a pink lipstick-laced smile.

"Hi, Honey, come on in!" she said, leading him into the living room. "Have a seat. Would you like a drink?"

In the kitchen, a pair of masculine, glove-clad hands gently pushed the back door forward and two figures entered. They slowly approached the living room, they saw the honey blonde engaging in friendly conversation with her guest, and stopped and waited.

"I wanted to make sure everything was all set. I can't just give this information away freely," she said. "It's all in there – all the details, dates, and names. It will ruin him for sure." She took a sip of brandy. She walked back to the safe, opened it, took out the diary, and held it out to her guest. "Here you go." Another pair of masculine hands received it, turning the pages and skimming the information.

"Is it enough?" she asked.

"More than enough," the male voice that belonged to the hands answered. "I'll get this to the boss and we'll make a copy, just to be safe." He picked up his half-finished drink and downed it. "I'll make sure you get your payment in a few days." He set down the glass.

The honey blonde escorted him to the front door. "Goodnight," she said.

"Goodnight," the male voice replied.

After the door shut, the men in the kitchen made their move. It was a guerilla attack. She turned to see them just as they approached, and the blood curdling scream was enough to crack through an otherwise still autumn night.

The first man launched his fist into her face and she went plummeting into a potted plant. His accomplice picked her up and hurled her into the fireplace, where her head collided with the stone fireplace. She crashed to the floor, her once-beautiful face a mess of purple bruises and blood. Certain their job was done, the two men nodded to each other and ran out.

**II**

Soft music permeated the air as wine and champagne glasses clinked amidst laughter and conversation. The tall, handsome, dark-haired man in the navy blue suit flitted easily through the maze of partygoers, exchanging smiles and greetings as they walked past, before reaching his target, an ashy-haired man in a gray suit.

"Steve McGarrett," the ashy-haired one said. "Nice to see you." He extended his hand.

"Likewise, Arnie," Steve, the dark-haired man in the blue suit said as he shook Arnie's hand. "How's Madeleine?"

"Fine, just fine," Arnie Washburn replied. "She's around here somewhere, showing off her new dress to some of the other wives."

"I guess with the income from all those business ventures, you can afford it," Steve laughed.

"How's the crime-fighting going?" Washburn asked. "Are Hawaii's criminals keeping you boys at Five-O busy?"

"The boys and the girl are occupied pretty much," Steve replied.

"I forgot, you hired a lady last year. What was her name, Derringer?"

"Berringer. Jayna Berringer," Steve replied. "One of our best, and the criminals just hate her."

"First, they let a lady cop into our state police, then they're debating to give women the right to end a pregnancy. I tell you, it's diabolical." Washburn took a sip of his drink.

Steve was startled by the comment, especially the one about the lady cop. "What's diabolical – the lady cop or giving women the right to have an abortion?"

"Well, I meant the latter," Washburn replied, "and I didn't mean any disrespect towards Miss Berringer but, police work is dangerous, and a woman is not always up to it."

"You'd be surprised just how many women are up for the task," Steve replied wearily. The awkward conversation was interrupted by the arrival of Mrs. Madeleine Washburn, Arnie's wife.

Madeleine whirled around in an array of turquoise and embroidered pearls. Her floor-length dress was thin-strapped, showing off her slender shoulders and arms, but not to the point where her matching shoes could be seen. She wore her ice cream blond hair shoulder-length and wavy. Her makeup was natural, with touches of pink on her cheeks and lips. She gently kissed Steve on the cheek and said hello.

"It was so nice of you to come, Steve," she said. "Why didn't you have some champagne?"

"I don't drink," Steve replied, flashing his white teeth.

"But you won't mind some guava juice?" Madeleine asked. "Honey, do you mind if I borrow Steve for a few minutes?" She locked her arm under Steve's.

"Not at all, dear," Washburn said. "Go right ahead. Don't be too long. This Capricorn goat is a magnet for the ladies." They walked away, towards the table where the drinks were kept. Steve instinctively knew that Madeleine Washburn did not spirit him away just to get him some guava juice.

"I need to talk to you, Steve," she said. "It's about Arnie, and one of his employees."

"What about them?" Steve asked.

"He has this research assistant named Susan Glidden," Madeleine said. "I think he's having an affair with her …"

**III**

The photographer's camera let out a flash as he snapped the photo of the dead girl. She lay sprawled on the stone platform in front of the fireplace. Her honey-tinged blonde hair was strewn all over her face, obscuring it's more horrific damage. She lay on her left side, her left hand under her head, and her right arm bent at the elbow with her right hand reaching her left elbow. Her legs were splayed, the hem of her green sheath ruffled around her upper thighs.

Che Fong, the forensic scientist, carefully extracted whatever fibers and other foreign objects he could from on and around her body, while the coroner, Doc Bergman, examined her wounds.

"How did it happen, Doc?" asked Danny Williams, the curly-haired second-in-command of Hawaii Five-O.

"It was blunt head trauma, but she was beaten first," he answered. "There were several blows to the face and head, both front and back. It was a blow to the back of the head from when she hit the fireplace that killed her." He pointed to dark red stain of blood on the mantel. "She hit this spot first, then fell on the ground and died. It was probably instantaneous, but I won't be sure till I do a complete autopsy."

A tall young woman with straight black hair in a light green pantsuit examined the wall above the mantel. She looked at the painting and noticed it did not hang like a normal painting did.

"Look at this," Jayna Berringer replied. She gently pulled the painting back, like opening a door. The painting was attached the wall by hinges on the other side. Behind it was a safe. She wrote down the name of the manufacturer. "Maybe we can get this open and see if there's a motive inside."

"Good eye," Danny said. "Did the landlady say anything?"

"That there is nothing missing and all the furniture is in place, and that she didn't hear anything. She lives in the bungalow across the way, and Duke and some of the boys are checking with the other neighbors. We did find that the back door was pried open. We found no fingerprints anywhere yet, except the victim's."

"What was her name?" Danny asked.

"Susan Glidden," Jayna answered.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**I**

The Washburns were having breakfast on their back porch, with a scenic view of the ocean just a few yards away, beyond a stone fence. Amidst the crashing of the waves and the chirping of sea gulls, Madeleine poured coffee as her husband opened up the newspaper. His face turned white. Staring at him from the front page was the photo of Susan Glidden. Her face was serious as she looked off to the side in the portrait studio shot that he used for her personnel file. The headline read, "Woman Beaten to Death in Pallolo Valley." Madeleine, seeing the look on Arnold's face, put down her coffee cup.

"What is it, dear?" she asked. "It looks like you've seen a ghost."

"I might as well have." Washburn showed her the newspaper. This time, it was Madeleine's turn to be stunned.

"Susan! How can that be?" she cried, her face turning white. "She said she had a date last night …"

"I should have encouraged her to come to ball," Washburn said. Their houseboy, Li, stepped onto the porch, with Steve McGarrett close behind.

"Mr. McGarrett of Hawaii Five-O is here to see you," he said.

"Thank you, Li," Madeleine said. Li nodded and walked back into the house.

Steve's face was grave and he wasted no time. "I take it you saw the morning headline?"

"We did," Washburn replied. "I invited her to the ball, but she said she had a date."

"Did she say anything else about it?" Steve asked.

"I don't pry into my employees' personal lives, Steve," Washburn said, "but she had been seeing the same man for some time."

"She just said his first name was Jake," Madeleine replied. "She went on about how wonderful he was, how he was taking her out to dinner every other day … she showed me this ring he bought her…"

Steve retained his poker face, knowing what Madeleine had told him yesterday night and how he promised not to say a word about it to Washburn, but that was before he knew that Susan Glidden was murdered. Part of him did not want to break a promise, but the cop part of him said it had to be done.

"Madeleine," Steve began, "it's time you and Arnie were open with me." He turned to Washburn. "Arnie, was there something going on between you and Susan?"

Washburn looked at Steve like he was about to erupt. Madeleine shuddered, biting on her manicured nail. Steve didn't budge. He was not afraid of Washburn and had seen him erupt in anger before.

"How dare you make such an accusation!" he yelled, clenching his fists like it was second nature.

"Cut the moral façade, Arnie. Everyone on this rock knows you're not as pure as the driven snow!" Steve snapped. "I kept quiet when you made your 'women-should-be-at-home' comment yesterday, but not now. This is murder. I want the truth, and if you hold anything back, it will come back to haunt you." Steve spoke firmly, his blue eyes turning steely. "Was there anything between you and Susan?"

Washburn looked at Madeleine, who stared back at him with sorrow, then back at Steve. "Yes, there was. It was several years ago, when she first started working for me. She was a volunteer on my campaign. It went on for a few months, and then I broke it off. I told Madeleine about it."

"You told me about that, but not everything," she said. She scraped the inside of her fingernails with the nails on her other hand.

"There were no others," Washburn said.

"What were you doing when you told me you were working late? Susan was there, too. Your secretary told me."

"Susan was working for me. She was doing research on some law that was going through the house …"

"Susan always had that look in her eye when you were around," Madeleine bellowed. "I know it very well. She was after you. She wanted you."

"Maddie, you are not a mind reader. You don't know what she was thinking. After that affair, there was nothing between us except her being my employee."

Steve wanted to stop the squabbling, but they were more likely to reveal the true nature of their relationship this way than if he just asked questions directly. This time, though, there was something Washburn did not mention.

"Just why did you hire her, Arnie?" he asked.

"She was a good office worker and researcher. I didn't want to lose her because of some indiscretion. I cleared it with Maddie, and she agreed to hire Susan as long as Susan and I didn't work late together. She was willing to forgive Susan because she was very young."

"She was twenty-two. Then I was willing to do it, but not at twenty-nine," Madeleine retorted.

Steve glared at both of them questioningly. "Were you having an affair with Susan recently?" Steve asked Washburn. "I want the truth. I heard your wife's suspicions, but now I want facts."

Washburn looked the Five-O chief right in the eye, and said, "No, I did not."

Steve was not convinced, but kept his straight face. "At what time did you two get home last night?" he asked.

"Around two-thirty in the morning," Madeleine said. "You saw us leaving."

"I saw you leaving at two a.m.," Steve replied. "I can't verify anything beyond that point, nor can I account for you being at that party the whole time."

"You know we live a half hour away from the Hilton," Washburn said. "Li can vouch for us. He was up when we came home."

"I will check on it," Steve said. "If there is anything else I need to know, I will be back, and I suggest you two get your facts straight and tell me everything you know, because I'm not convinced you are being honest. A young girl is dead, beaten to a bloody pulp, and if it had something to do with either one of you, I'll be back." He turned and walked away.

Arnold and Madeline Washburn glared at each other. "What did you tell him?" he asked.

"Only the truth," Madeleine answered. She went back to the table and downed her coffee. The finished what they could of their breakfast in silence, the only noise being the seagulls chirping in the distance.

**II**

The face on the TV screen was of a porcelain-skinned redhead with doll-blue eyes, but the woman was anything but a doll in real life. Her name was Barbara Morgan, and Jayna Berringer watched with disgust as the TV journalist presented her take on the Glidden case.

"_Susan Glidden, employee of Sen. Arnold Washurn, was found dead in her Pallolo Valley home last night. She was beaten to death …"_ Knowing that Doc's autopsy results were not made public yet, Barbara would only be able to repeat what the newspapers already said. Doc would officially release his findings later on today. _"Glidden was a publicity assistant for Washburn for the past seven year. It's no doubt her death had something to do with her work,"_ Barbara went on. Danno and Chin, who were watching as well, stared incredulously at her. Barbara Morgan had a history of stirring up trouble with everyone and everything on which she reported, and she remained on the air because that sort of nonsense brought in ratings. Barbara criticized Five-O in the past, always remaining close to the border of slander, but never crossing it. _"Washburn and his wife were at a charity ball at the Hilton Hotel in Kahala Beach last night, at which Steve McGarrett, head of Hawaii Five-O, was also in attendance. No doubt he will vouch for Washburn's alibi. We'll know more when the coroner and the DA release their findings, but McGarrett has been known to take the sides of the accused when they are people of high rank …" _

"The woman is treading on thin ice!" Danno exclaimed.

"I hope it breaks and she falls in!" Jayna exclaimed viciously.

"… _and McGarrett was often right in his hunches, but given what I know about Arnold Washburn, it won't happen this time. Washburn and Susan Glidden were purportedly having an affair, an affair which stemmed back to when she first met the senator in nineteen sixty-two, while volunteering on his campaign …"_

"The ice has broken," Chin quipped.

"Just where did she get that story from?" Danno wondered.

Jayna continued watching and listening intently. _"It's time we bring morals back into our world and government,"_ Barbara said. _"When a government official thinks he can fool around with a woman and put her in a position where she can be killed, then the fun and games are over. A man who treats women as objects has no place in this or any other public office. Washburn needs to be held accountable for his actions. …"_ Barbara continued with a sign-off, but Jayna had already signed off.

"That dirty, stinking slut!" she screamed. "The woman has gone too far. It doesn't take much to get the public on her side. They're a bunch of sheep! They'll be after Washburn only. We'll never get anywhere going after any other suspect."

"Right about now, Arnold and Madeleine Washburn are the prime suspects," Steve said as he entered, briefcase and brown paper lunch bag in hand. He set them down on a bookcase. "Barbara Morgan and _Eye on Hawaii_?" he asked, pointing to the TV set which Chin just turned off.

"It was a slow morning," Danno said, making the understatement of the day.

"It's about to get moving," Steve said. "Jayna, how far did you get with Susan Glidden's background?"

"She was twenty-nine and worked for Washburn for the past seven years. She was a press assistant or secretary. She wrote press releases, newsletters, and campaign mailings. She graduated from the University of Hawaii at Manoa in nineteen sixty-two with degrees in English and psychology and a minor in political science. She was a volunteer on Washburn's senate campaign in nineteen sixty-two, and was hired from there. She was originally from Kings Canyon, California and graduated from Reedley High School in 1958. Her father is a mechanical engineer and her mother is a nurse. Susan has an older sister, a younger brother, and a younger sister. They're all on the mainland." Jayna put down the paper from which she was reading. "Shall I go on?"

"Of course," Steve said.

"There are no previous marriages, and the only known boyfriends were some guys she dated casually in college. I was at Manoa around the same time, and graduated a year after she did, but I didn't know her that well. We had a couple of classes together, but I got the impression that Susan was only in school to get attention. She made average and sometimes above average grades, but was very high-flying. It was all money, clothes, makeup, and dates with her."

"Her money or someone else's?" Steve asked.

"Like you need to ask?" Jayna said wryly.

"Just making it clear either way." Steve held up his hand, with the index and middle fingers sticking up. Danno giggled while Chin shook his head.

"So the gal was the jet-setting type," Chin said. "What makes you think someone she knew from back in college killed her?"

"I don't, but we can't rule out anyone as a suspect. A jealous boyfriend who was spurned for the Senator might be trying to exact revenge all of a sudden," Steve said. "It could also have been a female classmate whose boyfriend Susan stole away, or maybe she was still carrying on with one of them, and the man's current girlfriend or wife wasn't too happy about it. We just can't leave any stone unturned."

"She did have a visitor that night," Danno said. "There were the two glasses of brandy, the brandy decanter, and the cigarettes."

"No one saw any car pull up, but a neighbor heard a car engine shortly after midnight," Jayna added. "He didn't look out the window to see who it was, unfortunately."

"Doc estimates the murder took place sometime between eleven and midnight, by the body temperature," Steve said, "so that fits. Madeleine Washburn took me aside last night and told me she suspected that her husband and Susan were having an affair. She told me about the affair seven years ago, but that she thought they kept it up. I thought it was strange that she suspected this all along, but didn't do anything about it. I asked her if she ever confronted Arnold about it. She said she didn't. It was only a superstition. She hired a private investigator named Walter Chang to find out, and Chang said he saw nothing suspicious. Susan went home on time every night, and Arnold was working with two male employees. Chang said he saw Washburn and the other men all leaving within minutes of each other." He turned to Chin. "Chin, check him Walter Chang."

"Will do, Steve." Chin wrote down the name.

"Jayna, do you have any more information on Susan Glidden?" Steve asked.

"I checked the rent on the house where she lived, and it's too high for someone in her salary range. The landlady said that Susan always paid the rent in cash, on time. She didn't question it."

"We'll have to check her bank records," Danno noted.

"It's all yours," Steve told his second-in-command. "Go on, Jayna."

"One more thing: I searched Susan's car, and found this …" Jayna held out a plastic evidence bag containing a matchbox. "It's got the name of the Pretty Flamingo on it, a popular hangout for some of Honolulu's more undesirable crowd, under the guise of black ties."

"It looks like we've got our day cut out for us," Steve mused.

**III**

"Susan Glidden was killed sometime between midnight and twelve-fifty a.m.," Doc Bergman told Steve. "Her body temperature was ninety-seven point one degrees Fahrenheit. The body loses temperature at a rate of one-and-a-half degrees each hour, and she was indoors and the room was seventy-two degrees, so it was a controlled environment. I created the timeframe based on the neighbor's call to the police at twelve-fifty-three a.m., and the police getting there around one-o-three."

Steve stared down remorsefully at Susan Glidden. Her skin was now waxy and blue-gray. The bruises on her face were either dark blue or brown. Her lips and nails were pale, and rigor mortis was setting in. It had been, after all, four hours since they found her body, and Doc had just completed the autopsy.

"She had a stellate skull fracture caused by her head hitting the mantel," Doc went on. "She had subdural bleeding as a result."

"What about the blows to her face?" Steve asked.

"She was punched in the face at least five times," Doc answered, "and it was a final shove into the mantel which killed her. Whether whoever beat her intended to do it, I can't say." Such was everyone's faith in Steve and the rest if the Five-O team that they never speculated that they would get their man or woman, but that they would, hence Doc saying "when" instead of "if."

"Whoever did this was angry, Steve. They were vicious, intent on making this poor girl suffer." Doc scratched his forehead.

"Indeed, they were," Steve said, looking down at the victim. "Given what we know about her, we'll never run out of suspects."

**IV**

"The safe was made by a company called Hamilton-King Security Group, based in California," Che Fong said as he showed Danno photographs of the safe after he opened it. "I called their local division and gave them the model number, and they sent one of their technicians over to open it …." Che pointed to some books, papers, and folders lying on the table in the middle of the room, "… and this is what was inside."

"All this?" Danno asked. "I thought Susan was only a press secretary."

"Apparently that was just her day job," Che noted. "These books are her diaries, detailing her work for Senator Washburn, as well as some extracurricular activities. She spent some time with Samuel Cates …"

"Samuel Cates? The gangster?" Danno asked.

"The one and only."Che nodded.

"Steve is going to love this." Danno was flustered. "What's in those files?"

"They're maps and reports from the city planning commission. It looks like Washburn was in on some projects of theirs, but figuring that out is your department." Che walked over the end of the table and lifted up a leather-covered ledger. "This should help you start."

**V**

"Payout, pay-ins, names, dates, locations, services given, services received … Miss Glidden was quite the bookkeeper," Steve said as he read through the ledger.

"And it all goes back right to the time when she started working for Washburn," Danno said. "Either he wasn't being level with you, or Susan had something going on of which he was blissfully unaware."

"He looked very upset when I told him about Susan, but I know not to go by appearances." Steve continued skimming the ledger. "Is the handwriting authentic?"

"I checked it against verified signatures and handwritten notes she left at her office," Danno answered. "It's hers all right."

"Washburn was on Honolulu's planning commission since nineteen sixty-four, and the dates at the front of this book correspond with them," Steve said. "There are thousands of dollars' worth of kickbacks listed. The money all came from the Akamai Construction Company on Bishop Street ..." Steve stopped to look at his partner. "… and you know who owns and runs it?"

"Samuel Cates," Danno answered, "and he also owns the Pretty Flamingo."

"It all comes together, doesn't it?" Steve read on. "There's more. There are some amounts attributed to a Dr. Kalo. Where it says to give a reason, it says checkup, blood test, loose toenail, etc. Washburn wouldn't need to pay cash to a doctor. Government officials get taxpayer-funded healthcare."

"Lucky them," Danno said, sarcastically. It angered him and Steve when they saw that tax dollars were being spent to give politicians breaks their constituents didn't have. "It's something to check out."

"Did you go through Susan's bank and tax records?" Steve asked.

"Rycourt's on it," Danno answered, referring to an accountant who worked for the city. "Since we have to go back several years, it will take a few days. He started with this year, though, and came up with something: Susan was making monthly deposits in the amount of five hundred dollars. She went into the bank and deposited cash, just like when she paid the rent."

"Maybe I should have been a press secretary instead of a police officer," Steve said, plunking down in the cream leather armchair next to Danno. "They apparently make good money."

"The bank manager told me that some of the bills were hundreds, so they checked the serial numbers, and they were identical to bills deposited in that bank by employees of none other than Akamai Construction," Danno added.

"It all goes back to Samuel Cates – the ledger, the matchbox, and now the money," Steve replied. "I've had my fights with Cates in the past. I'd like to see what excuses he gives us this time."

**VI**

Samuel Cates was an imposing figure, both literally and figuratively, in Hawaii's business and crime worlds. He managed to keep a foot in both without winding up behind bars, but Steve always hoped he would be able to put Cates away some day.

Cates stood an impressive six-foot-three, three inches taller than Steve. He had thick black hair, held in place with gel, and a swarthy, olive completion which came from genetics rather than hours in the sun. He wore a dark gray suit, yellow silk shirt and matching tie which could only have come from the most exclusive tailors on the mainland. Cates moved with all the grace of a grizzly bear, and the snarl on his face only spelled contempt for the Five-O men. Steve ignored it, while Danno was on edge.

"I don't know anyone named Susan Glidden," he growled. "The first I heard about it was when I read about her being killed."

"Yet she knew all about you," Steve said. "She listed several transactions between you and Arnold Washburn, and all that information was sitting quietly in her safe, and it was still there when we found her body. I take it you didn't find her a threat?"

"How could she be a threat when I never knew she existed?" Cates answered, not hiding his anger. "A lot of people go through the Pretty Flamingo. I don't keep track of them. You have to have a lot more than my name in a ledger to prove anything. Try asking Washburn."

"Try answering my questions," Steve snapped. "If Washburn admits to anything and implicates you, you'll have a harder time explaining it. You'd be better off talking to us now."

"I have nothing to say. If you want to talk further, ask my lawyer."

"I wonder if he will want to be a party to obstructing justice," Steve said, his eyes on fire. "You're in this up to your neck, Cates. It'll only be a matter of time before we find out the whole story. That the name of Akamai Construction appears in a record book detailing money that went to Washburn implicates you. It'll take a lot a fancy legal footwork to get you out from under."

"We'll just see about that, McGarrett," Cates snarled. "Anyone can write my name or the name of my company in a ledger. You'll have to go through all my financial records and count every last dollar."

"Then that's what we'll do," Steve said. "The DA is writing up the court order now. You can expect some HPD men here later on today to serve you with it and collect them." Steve and Danno turned to leave.

"Watch it, McGarrett!" Cates called out. "You're asking for trouble." Steve and Danno were used to the threats and ignored them as they left the office and got into the elevator.

"You think he meant anything?" Danno asked, pressing the button for the lobby.

"Cates is usually all bark and no bite," Steve said, "but he has resorted to violence to get his way several times. It's just that we were never able to link him to those murders. This may be another one, but I honestly hope I'm wrong." The elevator opened onto the first floor, and they walked out of the building and back to their car, just in time to hear the radio operator calling.

"Central Dispatch calling McGarrett! Central Dispatch calling McGarrett! Come in please!" rang the static-laden greeting.

"This is McGarrett," Steve said as he held the receiver to his mouth. "Come in."

"Jayna Berringer is trying to reach you. She said it's urgent."

"All right, put her through… Yes, Jayna?"

"_Eye on Hawaii_ is on, and Barbara Morgan's making accusations," Jayna said.

"About what?" Steve asked. He held the receiver out so both he and Danno could hear.

"She's implying that Five-O is covering up for Washburn, that Susan was involved in some abortion ring, and that there if there were more women officers on the job, Susan would be getting justice faster ."

"We're on our way," Steve said as he pulled off the curb and kept as close to the speed limit as he could while still going at the highest rate possible.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 **

**I**

Barbara Morgan opened one envelope after another, skimmed them, and tossed the negative ones in a bin, and threw the positive ones in another. The negative bin was overflowing, but the positive one was not even half full. The negative letters did not even faze Barbara that much. The minute she saw a profanity or a derogatory remark, she rolled her eyes, sighed and threw the letter into the appropriate bin. Despite commanding a huge audience, she still had her haters, but it didn't discourage her from her method of operation. The buzz from her intercom sounded, and her secretary at the other end spoke.

"Mr. McGarrett from Hawaii Five-O is here to see you, Ms. Morgan," the secretary replied.

"Send him in," Barbara replied begrudgingly. She lit a cigarette. Steve marched in, eyeing Barbara contemptuously. Barbara either didn't notice or didn't care. She just sat behind her desk, opening letters with her golden dagger-shaped letter opener.

"Hello, Steve," she said, lifting up her head so her red page boy flip bobbed. "Long time no see."

"Hello, Ms. Morgan," Steve replied. He stopped and stared sneeringly.

"Please, call me Barbara," she said, putting on a phony, polite façade.

"We're not that friendly with each other," Steve replied. He was trying hard to control his temper, but Barbara Morgan had pressed his buttons too many times previously for him to show her any patience now.

"I know why you're here," Barbara said. "You want to know about this morning's broadcast …"

"And why you have access to information the police don't," Steve retorted. "You made some very harsh allegations, Ms. Morgan – an illegal abortion ring for starters."

Barbara took a puff of her cigarette and tipped some ash into the ashtray. "It's all under the first amendment."

"There you go with that first amendment nonsense again!" Steve snapped. "The first amendment does not mean making up stories."

"It is real story, Steve," Barbara interjected, "and I have the proof."

"And you'll have to give it to me," Steve ordered, "because you are withholding evidence."

"I can't do that," Barbara replied. "I can't reveal my source."

"Then you go to jail. Is that worth it?" Steve asked, his blue eyes enlarging with rage.

"It is if it means saving my own skin." Barbara shook her head. "Someone gave me the information. I can't tell you who did …"

"Either you tell me or you tell a judge," Steve said. "The choice is yours, but make it now."

"If I tell you, it will cause a lot of trouble for a lot of people," Barbara warned, "including some very close to you."

"Is that a threat?" Steve asked. "I don't take kindly to threats, especially from muckraking journalists."

"It isn't a threat, Steve." Barbara snubbed out the cigarette. "It's facts. Cold, hard, facts. I have information which links Susan Glidden and Arnold Washburn to an illegal abortion ring and other crimes. If I'm not allowed to publish it, this will mean suppression of the truth, and you will be letting Susan's killers walk free."

"Enforcing the law is not your job," Steve scolded her. "It's mine. That information is needed for a police investigation, not your sensationalized stunt to boost ratings."

"Who said it was about ratings?" Barbara asked, throwing her hands up in the air. "I don't need to do anything to bring in ratings. The viewers come to me. This is about justice."

"Either you tell me now or I'm bringing you in for withholding evidence," Steve threatened. He reached his boiling point.

"All right!" Barbara yelled. "You want it, you'll get it!" She picked up the phone. "I was told about the abortion ring by one of its patients."

"Who?" Steve asked. "I need this girl's name."

"Susan Glidden … and you know where to find her," Barbara replied.

"And she just told you this out of the blue one day?" Steve asked. "Or did you approach her looking to get dirt on someone?"

"Steve, your vindictiveness doesn't work on me," Barbara replied. "I know you hate my work, but you can't stop me from doing it."

"I can, and I will," Steve shot diary," Barbara replied. "She showed me the book and gave me a copy of it."

"Did you ever see the real diary?" Steve asked.

"No," Barbara answered.

"Do you have the copy?"

Barbara got up and pulled out a file cabinet drawer. She pulled a small book out of it and handed it to Steve. He opened it and skimmed the pages.

"You're going to have to come with me and make a statement to the DA," he said, "and I want the whole truth. I think you're holding back."

"All right, but I warned you, you will be sorry," Barbara said as she got up and picked up her purse.

"I can't shield myself from everything I don't like," Steve replied, "otherwise, I wouldn't be a cop."

**II**

Jayna quietly strolled across the street to and entered the bar. All was quiet not except for two men playing pool in the back, and the bartender talking to a customer seated at the bar, sipping his way through a beer. He saw Jayna enter and nodded towards a booth in the back. Jayna nodded back and walked towards the back of the bar. In it was sitting Violet, one of the many prostitutes who called Waikiki their beat, and one of Jayna's more reliable informants. Violet was not her real name, but she got it for obvious reasons – her penchant for purple eye makeup and clothes, as well as the scent of her perfume. Violet's hair was the natural wavy black of her Hawaiian ancestors, but she covered it with a poker-straight purple wig. She looked at Jayna with green eyes which she inherited from various English, Spanish, and Dutch ancestors, and held her cigarette case with long and slender fingers.

She lit a cigarette and was letting out a long puff as she saw Jayna approach. "Hey, Jayna!" she called. "Buy you a drink?"

"No, thanks," Jayna replied, sitting down. "I'm on duty."

"You always are," Violet laughed, deformed smoke rings emanating from her mouth. "You've been hanging out with McGarrett too much!"

"There's no better company," Jayna quipped.

"Why don't you just pack it in and marry the guy?" Violet asked. "You obviously have the hots for him."

"But it would mean giving up my job, and I'm having too much fun being a cop. I don't believe in everything the feminists stand for, but I am not a firm believer in trading in my badge for an apron, either. Plus, Steve's not in the market for a relationship of any kind now. His job is his relationship."

"So I heard," Violet replied, rolling her eyes.

"You can make his job even easier by telling me what you know about an abortion ring involving Susan Glidden." Jayna traced the remnants of a glass ring on the table.

"Are you talking about what Barbara Morgan said on her show?" Violet's brown eyes were at attention. "That woman is full of it."

"Just how much was hype and how much was real?" Jayna asked.

"I had to go through her a few times," Violet admitted. "I tried to be careful, but none of the drugstore stuff is one hundred percent foolproof."

"When was this?" Jayna asked.

"The last time was six months ago."

"How did you get in touch with her?"

Violet brushed away some synthetic purple hair from her forehead and replied, "I told some of the other girls, and they gave me Susan's name. I called her and she said to meet her here. I did, and she gave me Dr. Kalo's address."

"Is Dr. Kalo a real doctor?" Jayna asked.

"He is, but he's very careful. He's got a practice out in a rural area outside of the city. He treats people for everything. His nurse is also a midwife, and she gave me some pills to take. She warned me that they would make me sick, but to get back to Dr. Kalo's place and he would finish the job, and he did."

"What pills were they?"

"She said they were supposed to induce an abortion," Violet replied. "By having me take them at home, it kept Dr. Kalo out of trouble because he couldn't be accused of starting the abortion, in case anything went wrong and I had to be taken to the hospital. He only ended the procedure." The waiter came by with a scotch on the rocks for Violet and a glass of water for Jayna. After he was a safe distance away, they continued.

"How did your girlfriends know Susan?" Jayna asked.

"Because she's Sam Cates's girl," Violet answered, "and Sam Cates uses Dr. Kalo when one of his boys gets shot and they don't want another doctor reporting it to the police, and when one of his girls gets in trouble. I'm not one of his girls, but I knew some of them. They're the ones who told me about Susan." She snubbed out the cigarette.

"You've been more than generous," Jayna replied, taking a sip of water. "What's in it for you?"

"If Susan can get killed, then anyone can." Violet scraped at a lilac fingernail. "She was tight with Cates. You don't know just how tight they were."

"I take it they were lovers," Jayna surmised.

"Yes, and Sam wanted to take advantage of her job with that senator. She had some dirt on him. She was running around with him years ago, and needed Dr. Kalo and his nurse's services then. That was when she first met Sam Cates. He helped her get out of that scrape, and she was in his debt ever since."

"Just how did Sam Cates and Susan Glidden get together?" Jayna asked.

"One of his girls told her about Dr. Kalo, and Susan let it slip that she worked for Washburn. Cates's girl told him about Susan, and Cates made the arrangements for the abortion personally, in return for some favors. I don't know what favors, but they had to involve spying on Washburn. I wish I could fill in the blanks for you, but this is what I heard on the streets over the years." She swirled the scotch around so the ice clinked against the edges of the glass.

"That's more than enough," Jayna replied. She took out her wallet and pulled out some ten-dollar bills.

Violet's eyes lit up. "Thank you, Jayna! You're a doll." She shook Jayna's hand. "Keep safe, hon, and if McGarrett comes around, I want a wedding invitation."

Jayna shook her head and laughed. "Yours will be the first in the mail!" she exclaimed.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**I**

John Manicote, the district attorney, stared exasperatedly at Barbara Morgan. Steve just kept a nonplussed face. Though he expected Barbara to tell him a strange story about how she got her information, he didn't bargain for what he was hearing. True, Barbara warned him that he would not like what he would hear, but he still didn't believe her.

"Susan made it very clear. She was ordered by Sam Cates to get close to Washburn and get him into bed with her. Then Cates would have him in his pocket."

"And what proof do you have now that Susan's dead?" Manicote asked.

"She showed me her real diary," she replied.

"And where is it?" Manicote asked.

"Susan was going to give them to you," Barbara replied wearily. "She told me she would."

"And you went on local TV and nearly ruined our case, not to mention put yourself on Cates's hit list, even when you never saw all this evidence?" Manicote asked. "You expect me to believe that?"

"That's the truth," Barbara replied.

"You're not a stupid woman," Steve said. "You don't take someone's word for anything. Susan had to prove she had the information, which means you saw it. Now where is it?"

"It should all be in her safe," Barbara replied, crossing her arms.

"We checked. It isn't in there," Steve said.

"Then I don't know where else it could be," Barbara replied nonchalantly.

"Unless you can find it, you can be charged with providing false evidence, obstructing justice, or concealing evidence, if we find the real diary and it turns out you knew where it was all along," Manicote warned. "Now, I'm going to ask you again, Ms. Morgan, where is the real diary?"

"It was in Susan's safe!" Barbara said. "If it isn't there, then someone took it. That's very obvious!"

"Who took it?" asked Manicote.

"Probably one of Sam Cates's boys."

"Cates is a very dangerous man. If he finds out you've seen Susan's diary, you're a dead woman," Steve warned. "If he had Susan killed over it, he'll go after anyone else who saw it."

"I'll take the risk, McGarrett," Barbara replied casually. "It wasn't Cates who was being exposed."

"Then who was?" Manicote asked.

"Washburn, of course," Barbara replied. "I wouldn't go in on it if I had to say Cates's name out loud. I have my limits."

"Unfortunately, they're too far away," Steve said.

"If you want to find the diary, try Samuel Cates, but lots of luck getting him to talk," Barbara said.

"Did Susan ever tell you that her life was in danger?" Manicote asked.

"No, she didn't say anything. She was doing it for the thrill and the money."

"There would be no money if you exposed Washburn on local television," Manicote said.

"There already was. Susan told me that they were all set to blackmail Washburn. I asked her how, but she wouldn't say. All she would say is that it was all set up. Once that happened, she'd have some extra dollars and then I could go public with the information."

"So she was essentially cheating Washburn?" Steve asked. "Promising that if he paid off, they would not expose him, but they were lying about it?"

Barbara nodded, tiredly. "Yes, that's about it."

"And what do you know about the abortion ring?" Steve asked.

"Susan was helping girls who needed them. She sent them over to Dr. Kalo. I don't know how, but that's what she did. That's all she told me."

Manicote gave Steve a look which the top cop to mean that they weren't going to get anywhere with her. However, Steve had a trick up his sleeve.

He went to the intercom and pressed a button. "Jayna, come in here."

Jayna Berringer walked in.

"Jayna, you're assigned to protect Ms. Morgan for the rest of your shift. I'll have Duke relieve you later. Take her back to her office."

"Got it," Jayna replied.

Barbara got up and picked up her purse, sighing heavily.

"You think she's legit, Steve," Manicote asked after Jayna closed the door.

"Susan was involved with Cates, plus he was very hostile when Danno and I tried to talk to him," Steve answered, "so I think she is telling the truth, but whether she told us everything she knows, I can't be sure."

"You purposely had Jayna guarding her …" Manicote was onto Steve's plan.

"Yes, so she can get the truth out of Barbara," Steve replied. "Jayna has a way of getting people to talk. You'd be surprised. Now, I'm going to and see if I can get Arnold Washburn to do the same."

**II**

"Susan involved with an abortion ring?" Washburn sounded shocked. "I've never heard such a thing. It's barbaric!" The senator seemed to have aged in the past twenty-four hours. Steve wasn't surprised, but he did the physical and mental strain suggested that Washburn knew more than he was saying, just like Barbara Morgan and Sam Cates.

"I need you to level with me," Steve told him. "I know Cates and Barbara Morgan are hiding something, but you're not going to join them. If you know something about Susan Glidden which you didn't tell us before, you have to tell me."

Washburn wiped his forehead and sat down. There was a long period of silence which only really lasted one minute. The only sounds Steve could hear was that of the clock ticking on the wall, and dog barking in the distance. When he didn't think the Senator would say another word, Steve broke the silence.

"Was Susan blackmailing you?" he asked.

Washburn looked up at Steve, his eyes wide with fear. "How … how did you know?"

"I have my sources," Steve replied. Steve got up, walked towards the mantel, and leaned on it. The wear and tear of this case was starting to affect him, and it was only one day old.

"It was all because of that affair years ago," Washburn explained. "There's something that Madeleine didn't know, and which I never told anyone: Susan got pregnant. If she had the baby, that would have been disastrous for both of us. She went for an abortion, but I don't know where she went or who provided it. Though I'm against abortions and felt that way even then, I couldn't risk letting her have the baby. Susan said she would find someone to do the abortion, and I need not worry. She found someone who told her where she could get the procedure done, and she did it. I never asked her anything more about it. We just wanted to put this behind us. I gave her a job with my administration with the promise that we end the affair. She agreed."

"Then how did your wife come to know?" Steve asked. "You said you told her."

"Maddie suspected all along, but she didn't confront me till after I hired Susan. I didn't tell you that when you came over this morning because I didn't know how she'd react. Madeleine doesn't know about the pregnancy." Washburn looked Steve in the eyes and spoke directly. "Maddie didn't like the idea of hiring her, but she didn't want to cause a scene."

"Madeleine seems like a very patient woman," Steve said dryly, "but it doesn't fit with her behavior this morning or when she spoke to me yesterday. She was angry. She suspected that you and Susan still had something going on. Were you still having an affair?"

_If the affair was over and done,_ Steve thought, _why would Susan decide to blackmail Washburn over it now?_

"We started up again earlier this year, but I ended it again two months ago. I couldn't let it happen, not with the election," Washburn replied.

"What about the planning commission?" Steve asked. "Is Cates involved?"

"I don't know," Washburn blurted.

"Arnie, we have a ledger found in Susan's safe which lists several kickbacks from Akamai Construction over the past four years, and they are all made out to you. How do you explain that?"

"But I never got any money," Washburn denied. "I never took a cent from him."

"You have to tell me everything, or I can't help you," Steve replied. "What role does Same Cates play with the planning commission?"

"Cates forced me to grant him some permits. Some of the other members were even in favor of those permits …"

"Which others?" Steve asked.

"Jeremy Hastings, he's from the city council, and Roy Kohler, and some others … I can't remember all their names."

"You have to remember," Steve urged, "if not now within a few days. Cates might have some of these people in his pocket, and we need to find out fast."

"But I don't see how Cates could know about Susan and me," Washburn said. "She didn't know him or mention him."

"It's not too hard for a man like him to put two and two together," Steve said. "And making you issue building permits is right up his alley. Did she ever mention keeping a diary of any kind?"

Washburn shook his head. "She never mentioned such a thing."

"Though you two were having an affair – again?" Steve asked.

"I didn't get that closer to her to find that out," Washburn said.

"I'm going to need the names of the other committee members who voted in favor of Cates's building permits and the projects they were for," Steve said. "Can you try to come up with them in the next day?"

"Yes, I can," Washburn said, "but Hastings and Kohler are definitely two of them."

"It's a start," Steve said.

"Steve," Washburn began, "Sam Cates is deadly. He will kill to keep his hands cleans. He's done it before."

"And if we're careful," Steve replied, "he won't kill again."

**III**

Rycourt the accountant pointed to the ledger as he spoke. "The amounts vary from one to ten thousand dollars, but they are all made out to Arnold Washburn," he said. "It's a total of fifty thousand dollars over the past seven years."

"Yet, there is no such amount in Washburn's bank account, or his wife's," Danno added.

"That won't clear him," Manicote cut in. "He might have the money stashed away in another account under another name, or even in a Swiss bank account."

"Must you always play devil's advocate, John?" Steve asked, shrugging his shoulders.

"No, but I have to look at all the possibilities," the DA replied gently. He leaned against the wall by the balcony, the sunlight hitting him in just the right direction to give him a half-sunlit profile.

"The ledger only lists dollar amounts, not the projects for which they went," Rycourt said, gesturing with his pencil. "We'd need to get a hold of the Planning Commission's records."

"I'll get a warrant to Judge Palmer by the end of the day," Manicote promised. "What are you going to do about Sam Cates?"

"He wouldn't talk the first time," Steve replied. "I doubt he'll talk now. If we can develop a case against him for extortion, conspiracy to provide false evidence, and providing false evidence, then we can get him here and get him to talk. It's going to take a lot more work to prove he was involved in Susan's Glidden's killing."

"Leave that to us," Steve assured him. "We need to find out who Susan's last visitor was, and Sam Cates's M.O. is to not get his hands dirty, but hire people to do the job for him. Find his hired help, and the road will lead right back to him."

"And where does Barbara Morgan fit into all this?" Manicote asked.

"As far as we know, she's just out to stir up trouble," Steve answered, "but she swears that Susan gave her a lot of information. We just can't verify it."

"Barbara is no murderer," Danno said. "Her biggest weapons are her mouth and the airwaves."

"Her diary is more of a day-to-day account of her work with Washburn and Cates, where she went, with whom she met, and what they said and did," Rycourt added.

"Steve, you might have to question Cates again, and this time, bring him in here," Manicote suggested.

"We also need to check out Susan's house once more," Steve replied. "I'll have Duke tell Jayna meet me there when he takes over for her."

"You think Susan hid something else you didn't find?" Manicote asked.

"The girl was full of secrets," Steve said. "We can't just stop at her wall safe."

**IV**

The ride to Barbara Morgan's office was anything but conversation-filled. Barbara sat fuming, uttering obscenities under her breath meant for Jayna's ears, but to which Jayna turned deaf. She'd get her chance to tell off the roving reporter soon enough. The rest of the staff was silent as they entered, and Barbara coolly announced to everyone that Jayna would be guarding her till the investigation was over, being careful not to mention her indiscretion. Inside her office, Barbara let loose.

"The nerve of that man!" she said as she flung her purse onto a chair.

"You started it," Jayna teased. "Maybe you should check your sources before you open your mouth on national television."

"I wouldn't talk if I were you," Barbara sneered. "I'll get the truth on you someday."

"Why can't you just accept the fact that there are women out there who are able to climb to the higher ranks in their professions completely on their own and not with any bedroom help?" Jayna spoke those last three words with scorn, but the preceding ones were spoken with frivolity. "After all, isn't that what the women's liberation movement is all about?"

"When you have women being murdered right and left in this state, and the police do nothing about it, I don't call a step forward." Barbara gestured to the space around her. "Susan Glidden is going to be swept under the rug as well."

"The case is only one day old, so you've got no business jumping to any conclusions," Jayna countered. "We're doing all we can to find Susan's killers, while you're doing all you can stop us."

"You've got it all figured out, haven't you!" Barbara waved her right hand in a dismissive fashion. She took out a cigarette from a silver case and lit it. "There's a lot you don't know." She let out a long puff of smoke.

"Enlighten me," Jayna replied.

"Susan was Cates's employee all along, even before she volunteered on Washburn's campaign and had the affair with him. She worked as a nightclub hostess at one of Sam's bars. Arnold went in one night, saw Susan, she went after him, and the rest, as they say, is history."

"Not quite," Jayna interrupted. "Was it her idea to become a volunteer, or did Cates push her to do it?"

"When Cates talks, everyone listens," Barbara replied. "It was his way of getting Arnold to play ball with him. He wanted to get Arnold in a position where he was vulnerable, where he could catch him in the act of doing something incriminating, then Cates could have a hold on him and get Washburn to do his bidding. It's an age-old practice, but one that's worked for a lot of people."

"And Cates thinks he's untouchable," Jayna replied.

"Cates has always been untouchable," Barbara said. "I'm not on his side. I'm doing this to expose him."

"And also ruin Washburn," Jayna added.

"He chose to cavort with Susan when he was married and promoting himself as a family man, so he gets no sympathy from me." Barbara leaned back in a cherry leather armchair and let out another puff of smoke.

"And just how do you know all this?" Jayna asked.

"I have my sources, and I don't reveal them!" Barbara stated defiantly.

"Well, you'd better, or we'll have you in jail so fast your head will spin," Jayna retorted.

"I told you all I know," Barbara said. "There's nothing more you can get out of me."

"That's where you're wrong." Jayna opened the drawer of Barbara's desk, revealing a reel-to-reel tape machine inside. "Just what do you with this? I know it's not for dictation."

Barbara looked like the color was rushing from her face and she was about to faint. "No, don't touch it!"

"What is on here?" asked Jayna.

"I take record my conversations with interview subjects. I get their permission, but there is information on those tapes which is private!"

Jayna pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to Barbara. "It's a search warrant," Jayna said. "Manicote had it all ready for me so when I got here, I could get right down to business." Jayna went to the door and opened it. She called out into the other room, and two uniformed officers entered, and started searching.

"This says you're after the tapes of my phone calls, letters addressed to or copies of letters I sent, and any photographic, film, or audio material," Barbara said. "What are you going to get from all these?"

"The real story behind your story," Jayna replied. One policeman showed her a box containing reel-to-reel canisters, and the other gestured to the filing cabinet.

"Get a trolley and take the whole thing out," Jayna said.

Barbara was fuming. Jayna could almost make out smoke coming from out of her ears. "Jayna, you're going to pay for this!" she yelled.

"Threats don't scare me, Barb. You should know that by now," Jayna said, a malicious grin forming on her lips.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**I**

Evening set in, and Sam Cates watched as the pretty cigarette girls strolled by, offering their wares to guests as the band played soft tropical music on the stage. The rhythm of the guitars, drums, and piano provided a softer ambience to the Pretty Flamingo, yet they did not soothe Cates's nerves. He tossed down his drink, slamming the glass down on the bar, and leaned over it, resting his elbows on the counter, and rubbing his forehead.

"You all right boss?" he heard a deep voice say along with feeling a tap on his shoulder. Cates turned to see his trusty right hand man, Jiro Magata. Jiro was a large and bulky man who spent many years as a bouncer in some of Honolulu's night clubs, and did many a deadly job for Cates in the past.

Cates wiped his hair back and looked at Jiro. "There's a lot wrong, Jiro," he said.

"Is McGarrett breathing down your back again? The boys said something about it," Jiro replied.

"He sure is," Cates said. "It looks like there'll be an encore of what happened to Susan." He pushed his glass towards the bartender for a refill.

"You just say when and where, boss, and it's as good as done." Jiro cracked his knuckles.

**II**

The reel whirred on inside the tape player, and Steve, Danno, Chin, Kono, and Jayna listened intently as the two voices spoke. None of the voices belonged to Barbara Morgan, but they did recognize one of them as Sam Cates, while the second belonged to a man whom they did not recognize.

"_The plans are made up, so all we need to do is get them to Washburn and have him show them to the commission, and then we're home free,"_ Cates said.

"_Provided Arnold can get the permit,"_ the other male voice replied. _"He has to get the approval of the other members first."_

"_Don't worry,"_ Cates assured. _"He's not the only one playing ball with me."_ The men went on to describe the building in question, a professional building which would house doctor and dentist offices. Steve pressed the stop button.

"Does anyone recognize the other voice?" Steve asked. The others shook their heads.

"We have a wide range to choose from," Chin replied, gesturing with his pipe. "But that doesn't say much."

"It might, Chin," Steve pointed at his Chinese aid. "We need to check into Cates' other associates. He runs Akamai Construction, so he's got lawyers, engineers, and others under him. This is most likely someone who works closely with him."

"Since Barbara is not anywhere in that conversation, where is she?" Jayna asked.

"There's only one answer that comes to mind, and that is that Barbara wasn't in the room at all," Danno said. "Cates said something to his secretary before she went out at the beginning of the tape, so it had to be in his office."

"How did Barbara get a bug planted there?" Steve asked. "Cates wouldn't allow her within one hundred feet. It would be a death wish if she walked in there and planted the bug herself."

"The chances of her revealing her partner in crime is as low as any of our chances of winning the lottery," Chin said. "She might have had someone come in there posing as a delivery man or electrician and plant it."

"That's the best possible solution," Steve said, "but we'll have to get Barbara to tell us, even if it means she spends the night in county lockup."

"You ought to hear what's on this tape." Jayna handed a reel to Danno, who replaced the previous reel in the machine with this one. Danno pressed the play button, and the conversation started. Steve could make out Cates and Susan's voices. The subject of their conversation was not for the faint of heart.

"_She was bleeding everywhere,"_ Susan said, in near hysterics._ "It was so gross! All that blood!"_

"_How could that happen? _Cates asked._ "Dr. Kalo is an expert at these things …"_

"_He wasn't in," _Susan wailed_. "The nurse did it. She assisted him so many times; she thought she knew what she was doing!"_

"_What happened to Diane?" _Cates asked.

"_She's at my house. I took her to the basement," _Susan said, sniffling._ "There's still blood all over the floor in the hallway …"_

"_Don't worry. I'll send Jiro and some of the other boys over to clean everything up. They'll take care of it."_

"_What if someone sees them?" _Susan asked.

"_They'll be careful," _Cates assured her._ "No one will know. What about the nurse? Is she going to talk?"_

"_No," _Susan said._ "She told me to tell you. She'll keep quiet. She can get into trouble, too, if anyone finds out."_

That was all Steve needed to hear. He pressed the stop button. "So now we can add disposing of a body to our list of charges," he said. "Jayna, did Violet ever mention a woman named Diane?"

"No, she didn't," Jayna answered, "but so many girls work the streets for Sam Cates. There's got to be a Diane among them. Diane might not even be her real name. A lot of these girls use aliases."

"Check on it, please," Steve gently told her. Jayna nodded. "There are six people on Honolulu's planning commission, plus all the engineers, building inspectors, and surveyors at the department of planning and permitting, plus everyone on Sam Cates's payroll at Akamai Construction. He gestured to Danno to turn out the lights. Jayna went to the slide projector and turned it on before the lights went out. The first photo that came up was a black and white shot of a man with light hair in a dark suit and striped tie. He smiled at the camera and waved to the photographer. The photo was from a public event.

"That's Jeremy Hastings," Steve began. "He's a lawyer and the director. He's married with two children. Next slide."

The next side was a color photo of another man with brown hair, blue eyes, a square jaw, and a straight but menacing face.

"That's Roy Kohler, the deputy director," Steve said. "Kohler's a confirmed bachelor who lives in an apartment in Discovery Bay on Ala Muana Boulevard. He drinks, smokes, and even gambles from time to time."

"Here or on the mainland?" Danno asked.

"Let's hope it's on the mainland," Steve answered. Everyone laughed. Gambling in Hawaii is illegal. "Next slide."

The third slide was different from the previous two in that its subject was one of the many alluring beauties that populated Hawaii. She was slender with straight black hair and almond-shaped hazel eyes. She stared into the camera with an amused yet alluring face, standing in front of a giant potted plant in what appeared to be a garden.

"Marlena Sung, a real estate agent who holds degrees in psychology and business from the University of Hawaii. She was on the executive board for several non-profits and is the planning commission's commissioner. She is married with one daughter, serves on her church's council, and leads her daughter's Girl Scout troop," Danno took over the narrative. "From what we got on her, she's very strong on social, economic, and political causes, and was against some recent projects put forth by Sam Cates."

The next photo showed another woman, in black and white with short dark hair curled around her heart-shaped face in a bouffant. It was a head-and-shoulders shot, so all that could be seen apart from her face was a string of pearls around her neck and the shoulders of a light-colored blouse or shift.

"This is Valerie Elmont," Danno said. "She does PR for the commission, and does gardening and pottery in her spare time."

The next slide was of a stout Asian man in dark suit and tie. "John Noburo, a CEO of the Pacific Bank, and another commissioner," Steve said.

The last slide was of a dark-skinned Caucasian man. He had dark hair, turning white on the sides, and deep blue eyes. He was seated at a table, wearing a gray suit with a pink shirt and tie. "That's Larry Ravenna, an architect," Steve said. "He specializes in the design and construction of major office buildings, high-rise apartment buildings, and institutional structures. Lights, please."

Danno got up to turn them back on. Steve got up to face his team. "Gentlemen, and lady …" he looked at Jayna. "… any one of these people could be involved, or more than one of them. We have to carefully scrutinize each of their backgrounds and pay careful attention to any projects they were especially pushing to see if Sam Cates might have been involved. Duke Lukela and Ken Nishimura from HPD are providing backup and we need to get to the bottom of what Susan was telling Cates on this last tape. We may have more than one murder on our hands, and the body count will rise before we're through."

**III**

Susan Glidden's house was furnished beyond the range of a publicity assistant's salary. The house was a one-story split level, with two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a storage room on the top floor, and the living room, kitchen, and drawing room on the 1st floor. The living room walls were covered in wood paneling, while the curtains that draped the windows were gold jacquard with an embossed flower design. The carpet was a shaggy yellow, in which any number of fiber particles could get lost, Jayna noted. The couch was a light olive green with wooden legs, and the armchairs matched the gold on the curtains. The wall safe sat behind a painting of a lush meadow, with vivid flowers making up the foreground. Steve, being a connoisseur of art, especially paintings, was taken in by it.

"You know the artist?" Jayna asked, coming to stand next to him.

"No, but it's not something rare or expensive," Steve said. "She probably got this at a department store." He pulled the painting towards the left, then turned the dial on the safe. After he heard it click, he inserted a key and turned it. The safe was empty, of course, since they had taken its contents as evidence. Steve was just checking it out of his own professional curiosity. Jayna studied the living room closely to get an idea for how Susan lived. The room was comfortable, with all the modern conveniences – a TV with a remote control, soft furniture, and a bar. Only a bottle of brandy and another of wine made up its contents. Jayna remembered that there had been a glass brandy decanter and two empty glasses on a tray when they arrived two nights ago. The one glass was used by Susan, Che told her, since it had traces of lipstick which matched the shade she wore that night. _What did Che say it was? Revlon Luminous Pink._ The other glass had no fingerprints on it, but it did contain a chemical found in a certain type of lip moisturizer. Che was checking to see which brand.

The kitchen showed signs of use, Steve could discern from the spaghetti sauce splatters on the cupboards. Susan must have been heating the sauce on the stove and it bubbled. Doc said her stomach contents contained spaghetti and meat sauce. The dirty dishes were still in the sink – one plate, a fork, the pot in which the spaghetti was cooked, the colander through which it was poured, and the tongs used to serve it onto the plate. They were caked with dry tomato sauce stains and sprinklings of oregano. An oregano jar stood on the dining room table, Steve remembered. Nothing else seemed out of the ordinary there, except for the back door. HPD said it was forced open, but Che could not lift any viable prints off it. _Maybe there was something outside,_ Steve thought. He decided to check.

The back yard looked neat and trim. It only extended some thirty feet from the back of the house with a tall, close-boarded fence creating a wall between it and the property behind. A row of red hibiscus was planted at the foot of the fence, from one end to the other. That was the only bit of gardening that existed there. A light green water hose lay coiled in the grass, and a rusted, overturned wheelbarrow lay beside it. Judging by the amount of rust on the wheelbarrow, it was not used recently, and certainly not by Susan Glidden.

Steve hoped the kitchen would yield better results. The cupboards were filled with the usual staples – cups, saucers, plates, bowls, and mugs in one, and cans and jars in the others. It was enough to make an amateur chef feel like he was in Heaven. There was an array of canned olives, artichokes, anchovy sauce, tomato sauce, and pickles. Packages of pasta and cake mixes covered another shelf. Steve was taken aback by the abundance of foods since, as he was told by Susan's co-workers and even Arnie Washburn, she did not do much cooking. Ordering in or eating out were Susan's main methods of nourishment. _Maybe she had someone else taking over the domestic chores?_ Steve thought

As Steve ascended the stairs, he saw that the second level of the house was divided into two rooms, a bathroom, and a closet. He heard Jayna shuffling around in one of them, and went in to join her. The bedroom was the epitome of everything traditionally feminine. The walls were baby pink, and the curtains were white and sheer. White window blinds provided the privacy, and the bed was covered in a pink and white comforter. The closet door was open, and Steve could see that Jayna searched through its entire contents. There was an array of evening gowns, plus some simple daytime dresses, blouses, pants, and jackets for work. A shoe rack lined the floor of the closet, with high heels, pumps, ballet flats, and beach sandals sitting all in a row.

"This gal had her own department store," Jayna remarked. "These dresses didn't come from Gems or even Macy's." She read the labels. "These are all Parisian designers."

A lone hatbox and a cardboard box sat on the top shelf. Steve pulled out the hatbox and found a floppy straw hat with a black bow ribbon. "Just a hat," Jayna told him as she rifled through the pockets of a jacket. The hat was the one local purchase of the lot. It came from a hat maker Jayna knew, who had a shop at the Kahala mall.

She threw some items onto the bed. Steve walked over, box in hand. The box was cube-shaped and big enough to fit a portable TV. The logo on it was the name of a local appliance manufacturer, so a TV may very well have been its former contents. Steve placed the box on the bed and looked at the items Jayna found. There were matchboxes with the Pretty Flamingo's logo on it, some receipts, and a ring. The green jewel in the center looked like an emerald, while the white ones encircling it resembled diamonds.

"I'm not a jewelry expert," she said, holding it to the light, "but this is real emerald and diamond."

"And why would it be in a jacket pocket?" Steve asked.

"The jewelry box only contains costume jewelry," Jayna said, pointing to the little white mini chest on the vanity dresser. Steve went to open and saw Jayna was right. The jewelry inside was made of plastic, wood, copper, steel, and glass beads. Steve was interested in the glass beads because jewelry-making was a hobby of his. It's possible that Susan, or someone she knew, made her those bracelets with the glass beads.

"You think they might be important?" Jayna asked, watching Steve examine them.

"Only from the perspective of an amateur jewelry-maker," Steve said with a smile. Jayna grinned back. Any opportunity to see her boss smile was like unearthing a buried treasure.

"So Susan patronized the Pretty Flamingo frequently." Steve pointed to the matchboxes.

Jayna held up one of the receipts. "This was dated the night she died," she said. "It's from the Royal Chinese Garden Restaurant." She handed it to Steve.

"The time was seven twenty-eight. It's a start," Steve replied. "Did you look in the other bedroom yet?"

"Not yet, I was too busy in here," Jayna answered, "but I did notice it's not as lived in as this one, yet someone has been there."

They went into the other bedroom to find it was smaller and not nearly as well-decorated as Susan's. The room resembled a generic motel room. The wall was a dusky green, with an off-white carpet. There was a nightstand with a bedside lamp, a desk across the room from the bed, under a generic painting of a landscape. The closet was to the right of the bed, and a large window was on the opposite wall perpendicular to the bed. Aside from a laundry basket in the left the corner by the window, there was no other furniture.

Steve made a b-line to the laundry basket, gently removing its contents one-by-one. There was a man's white T-shirt, white briefs, a pair of black dress socks, a blue cotton tie, and a flesh-colored woman's negligee and matching baby doll.

"Susan had a house guest or two," Steve remarked.

"And he was here for the long haul," Jayna said, peering into the closet. Steve went over to look inside, and saw three men's suits, a row of ties, two pairs of men's shoes on the floor, and a smaller box lying next to them. Steve knelt down and picked it up. It was another shoebox with a pair of brand new shoes inside.

"The suits are tailor-made," Steve read the label, "… a company called Biori Brothers. They're very exclusive tailors." He turned to Jayna. "And the shoes come from Delano's Shoes. That's another luxury brand, but they're in Italy. These would have to have been shipped over …" he went back to examining them. Steve looked for the name of the owner to be stitched somewhere on the suit, but it was not. He looked over to his partner, who was examining the negligee and baby doll.

"Typical retail fare," she told him. "A size small. There are quite a few gals who can fit into this, but not Susan Glidden."

"So Susan might have been using her house as her own little bordello," Steve suggested, "which explains how she could fund her extravagant tastes, but that doesn't explain the men's clothing. Since they're all the same size, so they may belong to the same man, and that suggests he was living here on and off."

"Maybe Susan's got some friends who use this place for rendezvous," Jayna said. "Not a very wise move. I'd go to a hotel, or have him come to my place …" Jayna saw the look of consternation on her boss's face as she said that, so she quickly added, "… if I was in that situation." Though her private life was her own business, it was a violation of a Jayna's job requirements to be engaging in any loose moral behavior. Such was the case for all police officers. Moreover, Steve felt a sense of protectiveness towards her, which she didn't mind.

"Let's get this down to Che," Steve said.

Outside Susan's house, a gray Nova sat across the street, with two Asian men – one in a suit, the other in a sports shirt and slacks – watching. When Steve and Jayna got into Steve's Grand Marquis and drove off, the men followed.

**IV**

Jayna kept looking over her shoulder. Steve noticed, but kept his eyes on the road.

"We're being followed?" he asked, but said it more like a statement.

"Gray Chevy Nova, two men, keeping at least one car-length behind," Jayna replied. Steve pushed down on the accelerator and they shot down the road like a bullet. Steve rounded the corner, and Jayna continued to watch. The men were determined. They started speeding up.

"Watch this!" Steve accelerated again, hitting over thirty-five miles per hour. The Nova was getting closer, and Jayna's heart was pounding. The men were close enough now for her to see them, and they could see her.

They sped up again and crashed into the bumper, sending the Grand Marquis forward, and off course. The tires skidded from side to side as Steve tried to keep them steady. Both his and Jayna's adrenaline levels were rising.

"It's all right, we'll make it," Steve assured her. Jayna put her full trust in Steve, never doubting that he would make the wrong decision or do anything to put them in danger. This was one situation they couldn't avoid.

The Nova crashed into them again, with a sound resonating like thunder. It sent the Marquis trailing off the road and down the side of a grassy hill. Steve managed to press down on the brakes hard enough to get it to stop. He turned off the ignition, pulled out the keys and opened the door. Jayna scrambled out, hitting the ground amidst the gunfire. Steve turned to see if she was nearby, but the shots continued, and one second more, and he might be dead. They managed to meet in front of the headlights, ducking down to avoid the barrage of bullets.

"They should be out of bullets by now," Jayna said to Steve.

"We can't take a chance." He took out his gun and returned fire. Jayna crawled to the other end of the front bumper, took out her revolver, and fired back at the two men. One of their bullets hit the side of the Marquis, making the sound of a loud, metallic dent. Jayna didn't want to waste any more bullets, and there may not be time to reload, but she and Steve could not sit around like targets in a shooting gallery anymore. Steve returned fire again, and the man in the sports shirt went down. Jayna fired at the man in the suit, the bullet flying right past his ear. He turned and ran towards the road.

"Freeze!" Steve yelled. The man in the suit stopped running, and put up his hands. Steve ran up to him, took the gun out his hand, and patted him down. Assuring himself that he had no other weapon, Steve took out a pair of handcuffs and put them on him while telling him his rights.

Jayna went to check on the man in the sports shirt. He lay writhing in pain, clutching a shoulder saturated in blood.

"You'll live," she told him. The man let out a bunch of expletives, while Jayna got as far out of earshot as possible, going back to the Grand Marquis to call for an ambulance.


End file.
